TED NUGENT

TED NUGENT - "I Love Those DAMN YANKEES And Would Join Forces With These Killers To Make Our Killer Music ASAP"

Backstage Axxess' Gus Griesinger has issued a new interview with hard rock legend TED NUGENT, an excerpt of which follows:

Q: You and guitarist Derek St. Holmes share a long history. I saw you perform together last year and the energy between the two of you was amazing. What's it like having him in your band now, as compared to his role from the 1970s?

A: "Maturity is a beautiful thing, so I'm told. We avoid it at all costs and naturally keep our music energy as raw and garage-band as inhumanly possible. Derek is a very gifted musical force and his amazing vocal signature on my classics is a cause for grand celebration. I have the best high energy band on earth and Derek fits right in. We kill."

Q: Currently you are on the Midwest Rock-n-Roll Express tour with REO SPEEDWAGON and STYX. You are now sharing the same bill as Tommy Shaw. Every time your old band members in DAMN YANKEES (Tommy, Jack and Michael) have done interviews and were asked about the possibility of a Damn Yankees reunion, their answers are always similar in: 'It's up to Ted!' What are your feelings about that and will you want to do it again?

A: "I love those Damn Yankees and would join forces with these killers to make our killer music ASAP! Unfortunately life is short and I am immersed in so many of my favorite endeavors that timing is elusive to say the least. We keep our fingers crossed."

Read the complete interview here.

Ted is known for his outspoken political views and raunchy song lyrics, but he recently showed a softer side when he met hospice patient Michael Golder at his concert in Peoria, Illinois.

As a teenager, Golder played guitar and had hopes of being a musician. He even moved to Nashville to chase his dream before serving with the Army in Vietnam.

Golder was just 19 and already a veteran when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed. After a year in the hospital and a series of strokes, he was blind and in a wheelchair.

Even after all he'd been through, music was still a big part of his life, said Golder's brother Stephen Kuhnke.

But the past three decades have taken their toll, and at 55, Golder is now a hospice patient. His life may have changed a lot, but his enthusiasm for rock'n'roll never has.

So Golder's caregivers contacted non-profit organization Hospice Dreams to see what kind of special day they could arrange for the lifelong fan. Hospice Dreams grants wishes for adult hospice patients, with each Dream customized to the patient's favorite activities.

The organization contacted musician Ted Nugent, who was holding a concert at the Peoria Civic Center near Golder's nursing home. Nugent donated tickets and backstage passes to the show so Golder could have "one awesome night".

"I'm gonna meet Ted Nugent," he told everyone he saw the day of the concert.

Nugent welcomed Golder, his brother and his caregivers backstage. Nugent's dog Thunder and drummer Mick Brown were also on hand for the visit.

The Motor City Madman joked that Golder should come on stage and dance with him from his wheelchair. Golder shook his head, but accepted a gift of guitar picks.